Water trough



March 24, 1931. USE 1,797,996

WATER TROUGH Filed May 25, 1927 I: Inventor 5 lfm/fe ff. Ouse,

I @QMMM Azmrney Patented Mar. 24, 1931 STATE KNU'IE M. OUSE, (3FAMBROSE, NQRTH DAKOTA wA'rnn 'rrioUGI-I Application filed May 25, 1927.Serial No. 194,125.

The present invention relates to a water trough and has for itsprincipal object to provide means for preventing freezing of the waterin the trough during freezing 6 weather. v

Another very important object of the invention resides in the provisionof a water trough having an opening with a depending flange extendingdownwardly therefrom to form a compartment for holding a certain amountof the upper portion of the water which will be exposed and means forforming a vacuum under any ice which may form on this portion of thewater so as to prevent the complete freezing of the water in the trough.

A still further important object of the invention resides in theprovision of a water trough of this nature which is simple in itsconstruction, inexpensive to manufacture, thoroughly efiicient andreliable in use, and otherwise well adapted to the purpose for which itis designed.

With the above and numerous other objects in view as will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in certain novel features ofconstruction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will behereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device embodying the features of myinvention, with a portion broken away in section, and

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation thereof.

Referring to the drawings in detail it will be seen that the tank asillustrated herein by way of preference comprises a bottom 5, acylindrical wall 6 rising therefrom and a top 7 held in place on theupper edge of the wall 6 by suitable fastening elements 8 or in anyother suitable manner. The top 7 has three spaced laminations forforming vacuum compartments C. This top 7 is formed with an opening 9 ata portion of its edge. A flange 10 extends downwardly from the edge ofthe openin to form a compartment with a portion of the wall 6. Thisflange 10 is fixed in place by suitable fastening elements 11 or in anyother desired manner. A bracket 12 is attached to the flange 10 and hasan opening through which is slidable and rotatable a rod 14 having ahandle 15 at its upper end. A pipe 16 registers with an opening in thebottom 5 and rises interiorly of the tank for a short distance and theupper end thereof'is engaged by an elbow coupling 17 from which extendsthe pipe section 18 on which is engaged a valve 19 with which the rod 14is operatively connected. The purpose of this valve is to provide a slowleak in the tank so that water in the tank will be slowly receding. Thewater in the compartment formed by the flange 10 will be the first tofreeze since it is exposed directly to the elements and the so slowlyreceding water will cause a vacuum under the ice formed in thiscompartment to prevent further freezing. The very thin layer of ice thusformed may be very easily broken by stock. It is apparent, of course,that any of the numerous well known means may be used for automaticallycausing the tank to be refilled after the level has receded to apredetermined extent, and manifestly refilling can take place when thefilm of ice alluded to is broken.

hen there is no danger of freezing, a person may obtain access to thehandle 15 through the opening 9 and shut the valve 19. It is thoughtthat the construction, operation, utility, and advantages of thisinvention will now be quite apparent to those skilled in this artwithout a more detailed description thereof. The present embodiment ofthe invention has been disclosed in detail 85 merely by way of examplesince in actual practice it attains the features of advantage enumeratedas desirable in the statement of the invention and the abovedescription. It will be apparent that changes in the details ofconstruction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventionas hereinafter claimed or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In a stock water trough, a tank cover of spaced wall constructionformed with an opening in a portion of its edge, a wall depending fromthe edge of said opening to a point below the predetermined normal waterlevel of the tank, and being complementary with the adjacent portion ofthe tank wall to provide a water compartment separated laterally fromthe balance of the interior of the tank, means in the tank below theflange to provide a slow leak in the tank and thus form a vacuum underany ice formed in the compartment caused by the receding of the water,and means for regulating said first mentioned means through the openingin the tank.

2. In a stock water trough, a tank cover of spaced wall constructionformed with an opening in a portion of its edge, a wall depending fromthe edge of said opening to a point below the predetermined normal waterlevel of the tank, and being complementary with the adjacent portion ofthe tank wall to provide a water compartment separated laterally fromthe balance of the interior of the tank, and means for regulating thevalve to provide a leak in the tank so that the water will slowly recedefrom the compartment whereby if ice is formed on said water in thecompartment a vacuum will be formed thereunder as water recedes, saidmeans being accessible for operation through the opening in the tank.

3. A water tank having a top wall and an opening in said wall, acontinuous flange depending from the edge of said opening into the tankto form a compartment for receiving some of the water in the upper partof the tank, some of the water within said flange being exposed to theatmosphere and liable to freeze and means in the tank below said flangeto provide a slow leak in the tank to bring about the formation of avacuum under any ice formed in said compartment when the water in thetank recedes.

4. A water tank having a top wall and an opening therein, a continuousflange depending from the edge of said opening into the tank to form acompartmentfor receiving some of the upper portion of the water in thetank, a discharge conduit leading from the lower portion of the interiorof the tank, a valve controlling said conduit and having a rod extendingtoward said flange, a bracket on said flange receiving said rod, and ahandle fixed to the rod and arranged adjacent to said bracket, saidhandle being readily accessible through the opening adjacent to theflange.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

KNUTE M. OUSE.

